Container and seal



Oct. 13, 1953 N. R. DUNBAR CONTAINER AND SEAL Filed June 11. 1951INVENTOR. Zw

-Patented Oct. 13, 1953 CONTAINER AND SEAL Norman R. Dunbar, Downey,Calif., assignor to Eldon Manufacturing Co., Los Angeles, Calif., a

corporation of California Application June 11, 1951, Serial No. 230,925

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a container and a novel form of seal thereforland is particularly directed to improvements in a compartmentedcontainer having a single closure or cover which may be opened to exposeone or more of the compartments as desired. A more detailed object is toprovide a novel form of cover and seal yfor a -container of this type.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a compartmentedcontainer having high strength characteristics whi-ch may be producedeconomically on a quantity basis and which may be formed of plasticmaterial.

Another object is to provide a cover and seal for su-ch a containerwhich will stay in place regardless of rough handling or shocks or joltsand yet which may be readily and quickly opened to expose one or more ofthe compartments as desired.

`Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear hereinafter.j

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing a preferredembodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view taken substantially on the line 2-2 asshown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on the line 3-3 asshown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation partly broken away showing the mannerin which the cover may be removed section by section to expose one ormore compartments as desired.

Referring to the drawings, the -container body or shell generallydesignated I0 is composed of a plurality of oval shaped compartments IIpositioned in side-by-side relationship and connected by integral websI2. Each of the compartments II is open at the top and is provided withan integral bottom wall I3. For purposes set forth herein below I preferto provide a smaller compartment I4 which is formed by the side wallsI5, I6 and I'I and provided with a bottom wall I8. This compartment I4is also open at the top.

The oval shape for the principal compartments is chosen to provide themaximum strength and stiffness against deflection. The smallersupplementary compartment I4 need not extend for the full length of the-container I0, but on the contrary the bottom wall I8 may be positionedbetween the bottom walls I3 and the upper open ends of the compartments.

The particular form of the invention illustrated in the drawings may beemployed as an ointment container for two forms of ointment havingmedicinal properties. Separate ointment containing tubes I9 may beplaced in each of the oval shaped compartments I I while a smallerointment tube 20 may be placed in the smaller compartment I4. Theointment in the tubes I9 may be substantially the same, whereas theointment in the tube which is placed in the smaller. compartment I4 maybe of a different type or concentration. For example, the ointment intubes I9 may be useful for general application to the skin of personsexposed to poisonous or skin irritating gases, such as, for example,Lewis-l ite. The ointment in the small tube 20 may be of weakerconcentration land applicable to the skin areas adjacent the eyes of4such persons. The particular form of the invention illustrated isintended to be carried in a pocket of a sol-- diers uniform. If thesoldier is exposed to Lewisite gas he applies ointment from the tubesyI9 to the affected areas of the skin except near the eyes. The ointmentfrom the tube 20 is used on the skin adjacent the eyes.

Means are provided to form an airtight seal for the upper open ends ofthe compartments I I and I4. As shown in the drawings, this meansincludes a unitary cover member 9 formed ofiexible material and having aplurality of individual dome-like sealing caps 2I connected by integralwebs 22. Tabs 23' integrally formed with the caps 2I extend laterallyfrom each side of the container I0. The tabs 23 extend from rims 24which extend around the periphery of each of the sealing caps 2| andwhich -cooperate with the laterally extending lips 25 on the upper endof the compartments II and I4 to form a seal. Each of the caps 2l isprovided with a continuous skirt 218 which extends downward within theupper end of the compartments II and I4.

The cover member 9 is preferably formed of flexible material such as,for example, polyethylene, while the container body or shell lil ispreferably formed of high impact styrene. The skirts 26 and rims 24 onthe flexible cover 9 engage the relatively rigid parts of the shell I0to form an effective seal to minimize entrance of air and escape ofvolatile constituents from the ointment tubes I9 and 20. The position ofthe tabs 23 with respect to the rims 24 is such that lifting movement ofthe tabs 23 first acts to disengage the rims 24 from the lips 25 andthereafter serves to withdraw each of the skirts 26 from its sealingposition within the interior of its respective compartment.- The. webs22 permit the individual sealing caps 2i to be sequentially moved fromsealing position. This construction provides a sealing device for acompartmented container which maintains a tight seal in spite of theblows and shocks occasioned by rough usage, and yet which seal may bereadily broken to expose the contents of the container for use.

The shapes of the compartments H and I4 are chosen so that they mayreadily be distinguished by the sense of touch and without requiringthat the user see the container shell or cover. By placing his finger inthe various compartments the user is able to distinguish which of themcontains the small tube 20 having the eye ointment,

and conversely, which of themcontains lthe larger tubes i9.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I donot wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my inventionis of the full scope of thelappended claims.

lI claim:

l. In a compartmented container, the combination of: a rigid shellhaving Walls kdeiining `a plurality f uprehtsparallel compartments DPEat the top and; connected by illg'ral Webs, a iiexiblecover .having laplurality of sealing caps integrally connected :by 'ilexible Webs, eachcap having Aa continuous skirt extending into one of the .compartments.in sealing engagement with the wall thereof, a peripheral vlip on thewall of each compartment .adjacent the open end thereof, 'and adepending rimoneach of the sealing caps `engaging overfsaidperipherallip .to hold the cover in .place on the shell,

2. .Inadeviee ofthe class described, the Combination of: a.compartmented container shell formed of vrelatively rigid material, theshell having wallsdening a plurality (3f-compartments disposed inYside-.by-side relationship, a cover formedof flexible material andhaving .individual sealing `caps Afor .each :of the compartments, .thesealing 4caps being connected by `,flexible webs, eachof vthesealingcaps ,having a continuous Skirt extending into `its respectivecompartment and engaging the wall thereof :to form a seal, interengagingIlip and .fr'im rmeans connecting the cover and the shell, .and meansincluding a laterally projecting tab .on .the cover .for successively.disengagine 'each lip and Arim. means :and removing the individualsealing sans one at a .time from lthe sealing position.

spective compartment and engaging the Wall thereof to form a seal,interengaging means connecting the cover and the shell, said meansincludnga peripheral lip on a wall of each of the compartments, and farim on each of the sealing caps engaging the lip, and means including allaterally projecting tab on the cover for successively disengaging therims and lips and remevingthe individual sealing caps one at a time fromsealing position.

4. In a device ofthe class described, thecombnation of; a4coxnpartmented container shell for-med of relatively rigid material,the sheil having walls dening a plurality of generally oval-shaped.compartments disposed side by side and connected -by integral webs, thewalls also dening a single ysmaller compartment having a diierent shape,the upplrfends of all of the compartments terminating in -thesame plane,a removable -cover formed of flexible material and having individualsealing :caps for each .of :the compartments, the sealing caps beingconnected by flexible webs, each of the sealing caps having a continuousskirt extending into its respective compartment Vand engaging the wallthereof to ferm a seal, and interengaging lip .and rim vmea-nsconnecting lthe cover andthe shell.

NORMAN R. DUNBAR.

References Cited in the v4file Yof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber 'Name vDate 1,190,196 Schweinert et al. July 4, 1916 2,096,825.Roman Oct. 26, 19,37 2,266,270 Roth T Dec. 1c, -1941 2,358,915 iDuthieSept. 26, y194:4 2,486,364 VSimmons Oct. 25, '-1949 a 2,526,225Gronemeyer et ai. oct. 17, 1950 r2,560,376 Waterman July 10, 1951

